zappazapper

I used an X3 Live for over 10 years before I got my LT, and my reason for updating had nothing to do with tone and everything to do with control. When I got my LT I gave my X3 to my bassist, and his tone is killer and he has no complaints at all. The X3 isn't antiquated, it's just a previous iteration of the same thing. Still completely usable, still completely relevant. I still use PodFarm in my studio because it sounds great. You'll see POD 2.0, XT, X3 and stompbox modeler rack units in studios all over the world. The Helix will always be an incredibly powerful, versatile unit well after they've made an even more powerful, versatile unit.

Re: $600 Think about it. The Stomp is one DSP chip compared to two in the Floor/Rack/LT. Any DSP expansion is going to require another DSP chip. So another DSP chip and some switches. It's already a Stomp. OK so you want it to just connect digitally without having to patch it in and hook up MIDI. The problem for L6 is that the customer base for such a product is limited to owners of a Stomp. And it's going to cost $600 anyway because why would they sell you the same DSP chip and the same switches for less than what it would cost you to buy another Stomp? There's lots of things I want too (VST Wrapper?!) but at some point we have to accept that they are a for-profit company and some things just aren't good moves for L6 from that perspective. I just don't see them making this, ever. But like I said, a second Stomp or an HX Effects would kinda be the closest thing to what you're talking about, except that they aren't connected at the "OS level" or whatever. They would communicate via MIDI. Sonically it would achieve the exact same thing. Workflow would, of course, be a little different, but nothing that complicated.

K but like I said, the X3 has a Metal Zone model (Killer Z) and it has the Mid Freq control. And I seem to remember the stompbox modelers appearing quite a bit before the XT and X3. Kidney Bean or 2.0?

So, no love at all? Not even hate? C'Mon... I can handle it...

XD thanks, I was just pointing out a typo. In the 3.0 manual the list of effects now includes the legacy effects, and under "Heavy Dist" it says Boss Metal Zone. Maybe it's the Metal Zone model from the DM-4? I know the X3 line has a Metal Zone model that includes the Mid Freq control and it's called "Killer Z". Anyway like I said, I just assumed it was a typo and it was a previous version of the HM-2 but the HM-2 doesn't have a mid control at all, so that's why I think maybe it's the Metal Zone model from the DM-4, which didn't have enough controls for it. I think all the legacy effects are from the stompbox modeler series.

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Snapshot-Layers/1003644-23508

Fair enough, but there's fantasy and there's reality. There's been no such product mentioned, and even if they liked your idea it would take them years before you'd see it in stores. For $600 you can have more DSP and switches now.

AFAIK you can't do it with stomps. I often find myself wishing that there were multiple "layers" to snapshots. Like in your example you already have other things controlled by snapshots, and I'm assuming you've turned off Snapshot Bypass on your delay blocks so that they're not controlled by snapshots. Imagine if instead of only being able to turn off Snapshot Bypass, the option instead was, say, "Snapshot Assign", and your options were Off, A, B (maybe 2 layers is enough). "Off" would be the same as turning Snapshot Bypass off, "A" would be the same as current snapshot behavior, but "B" would be a second layer of snapshots that are independent from the first. So in your example, you could control your delay blocks with snapshot layer B and it wouldn't affect anything being controlled by snapshot layer A, and vice versa. I think I'm gonna make an IdeaScale post.

Just checking out the 3.0 manual. It says the "Heavy Dist" in legacy distortions is a model of the Metal Zone. Metal Zone has a parametric mid control, "Heavy Dist" does not. L6 is cancelled.

There is a modular DSP expansion for the HX STOMP: another HX STOMP. It's the right size, is fully programmable with MIDI, has a few built in switches and loads of connectivity options. I can't imagine a better way to get more DSP in a compact package.

Yup, that did it. Thanks.

My apologies. As I was walking down the street to get food, I started thinking about it and how wrong I was. A line-level signal is still AC. The signal wire carries both positive and negative voltages, and like you said, reversing the connection on one end will just short the signal to ground, not reverse the polarity of the signal. I'm guessing there is no way to reverse the polarity of a signal by modifying an instrument cable. Seems like modifying one of my speaker cables is my only option. I don't have an A/B/Y, and AFAIK I don't have a 1/4" unbalanced splitter. I checked both the instrument cables and the speaker cables to confirm correct wiring.

I'm experimenting with a stereo guitar setup. I was previously using 4CM with my Mesa Boogie .50 Caliber+, but right now I just have the Helix 1/4" outputs connected to the FX Return of both the Boogie and my JCM 900, with the speaker outs of each amp going to either side of a Marshall 1960A cabinet (300W stereo 4x12). "But... you should be using an FRFR setup or a Powercab!!" I know. Not an option right now. I'm using the gear I have. Moving on. So the problem I have is that the signal is out of phase - if I pan the signal to either side, the signal sounds full, but if it's panned to the center, it sounds thin and like it's coming from behind me. If I use a dummy block to engage the B path, pan either path hard left and right in the Merge block, and flip the polarity on the B path, a signal panned to the center now sounds as full as it does panned to either side, and coming from in front of me. But using a dummy block and having to diddle with the Merge block in every preset is not a very elegant solution. Since there are no polarity options in the Output block, a hardware modification seems to be my only option. The likely culprit is that for whatever reason the power amp (or whatever line-level circuitry exists in between the FX Return and the power amp itself) in one of the amps flips the polarity of the signal. Doing an amp modification isn't something I'm interested in, so forget that. My remaining two options are (as far as I can tell) are to rewire either one of the 1/4" instrument cables connecting the Helix to one of my amps to reverse polarity (wire connected to sleeve of one end wired to tip of other end), or to rewire one of the speaker cables. Is there any reason why one approach would be better than the other? I'm leaning towards modifying the speaker cable. It seems to me that in an instrument cable, the two wires have different purposes (one carries the signal, the other provides ground and acts as a shield), and rewiring them in reverse might compromise the shielding. In a speaker cable, both wires are essentially doing the same job, as a powered audio signal is AC, and neither wire acts as a shield for the other one. I'd appreciate any thoughts on my situation, my proposed solutions, and any potential solutions I'm not thinking of. Thanks.

I guess I'm in Group 1.5 XD Since purchasing my LT, I've been a regular user of the forum, particularly following the discussion on the upcoming update. I read forum posts about the release while I was eating lunch at work, but not the release notes (no time to read the whole thing). I got home, turned my unit and my computer on, started HX Edit, opened Preferences, clicked "Check For Update", followed the prompts until the update process started in earnest, and then took the dog for a walk. Got back, unit was updated, but noticed new effects that were showing up on the unit weren't showing up in HX Edit. "I must have to update HX Edit also" I thought. Searched around in HX Edit for a way to update it. Couldn't find it. Finally read the release notes, which has a link for installation instructions right at the top, and the first thing the installation instructions say is to update HX Edit first, from a web link. Updated HX Edit and everything is fine. The point is, I'm not technologically challenged. I don't mind having to jump through hoops to get the most out of my unit. And everything worked out fine in the end. I'm not making a complaint on my own behalf. I'm just pointing out that if Phil had to go as far as to create a sticky post and a Bernie Sanders themed meme, then it's a common issue, and one that has to be dealt by people with varying levels of technological agility. I often make suggestions for features or improvements/innovations/changes to existing features, and the reason given for why they're not good ideas is the standard "simplicity vs versatility" argument - 99% of users won't use it, and it might create a issue for those that aren't as technologically agile. If that's the argument against things I want, then it's only fair that it apply here. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people to figure out how to update HX Edit manually, but if the game here is making it an easy experience as possible for the most amount of users, then yes, the whole update process should take care of itself automatically.

Just a suggestion... Maybe HX Edit needs to update itself first along with the unit when a "check for updates" is run. On any other application "check for updates" would mean updates for the application itself, not to mention that not every person who owns a Helix is necessarily on this forum and wouldn't necessarily read the release notes. It shouldn't be left up to the end user to navigate the updates properly.

https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Mix-control-for-all-effects-blocks/898131-23508 I was gonna create a new post on IdeaScale but I found this. This is one of those things that you get used to having when you're a Reaper user, and don't realize how useful it is until you don't have it. UPVOTE IT NOW!! XD

CC 68 (From page 49 of the HX Stomp manual)

The switching incompatibility between the Helix and Mesa Boogie is not likely to be able to be fixed by a firmware update, nor do I even think it's an issue with the Helix in the first place. Like I said, I have other products that have the same issue. It's most likely something about how Mesa Boogies are designed.

From page 49 of the HX Stomp manual: CC 69 Snapshot select (0=Snapshot 1, 1=Snapshot 2, 2=Snapshot 3, 8=Next snapshot, 9=Previous snapshot)

The reason it doesn't fully turn off blocks and only bypasses them is because it would cause an audible gap in the signal, the same way changing presets works. If that audible gap isn't an issue for you and you want to free up some CPU power for other effects, you can just use separate presets with single AMP+CAB blocks.

I'm gonna chime in here and say that I've also experienced issues using the EXT AMP function to switch functions on my Mesa Boogie .50 Caliber+. In my case, my channel switching works fine but the EQ only switches off "half-way", ie. when it's supposed to be "OFF", the EQ sliders still change the sound, although not as much as when it's supposed to be "ON". I also have the same problem trying to switch functions on my amp using my Roland FC-300, but standard footswitches work fine, regardless of if they're made by Mesa Boogie or any other manufacturer. It's possible that there is a general incompatibility with the way Mesa Boogie switching works and the way the Helix products work. The incompatibility likely comes from the Mesa Boogie side, not the L6 side, as I have yet to see complaints about switching any other manufacturer's amps. As far as solutions, there are a couple, but keep in mind that there is no way to know for sure whether a particular product is going to work with your amp until you try it. As rd2rk mentioned, there is the Voodoo Labs Control Switcher. This is a rather expensive unit, but in my own search for solutions I found a cheaper product that essentially does the same thing - NUX PMS-2. https://www.nuxefx.com/pms-2.html It responds to MIDI Program Change messages. You select your preset on the Helix, press the buttons on the front panel to switch your amp's functions as desired, hit the save button, and then whenever you select that preset again, it will automatically switch your amp to your chosen settings. Another option is the Disaster Area Designs Smart Switch, although it's a discontinued products that is somewhat hard to find, and doesn't actually function as stated in the manual, although it might work fine for some. It's a two channel switcher with its own footswitches that also responds to MIDI Program Change messages, but not Continuous Controller messages, despite the manual saying it does. With PC messages it works just like the Voodoo Labs Control Switcher and the NUX PMS-2, except that you have dedicated footswitches to operate your amp's functions. I used this unit for years with my X3L, which doesn't have the ability to send custom CC messages anyway, so it was fine. The unit I'm using now is the AMT FS2-MIDI. https://amtelectronics.com/new/amt-fs-2midi/ It's also a two channel switcher with its own footswitches, and will respond to either PC or CC messages, and will also send CC messages. There's a couple different ways I can use it with my LT: - I can use the Command Center to assign a Helix footswitch to send MIDI commands to it, which combined with assigning Bypass and Controller assignments to the same footswitch, allows me to control Helix blocks and my amp's functions from the same Helix footswitch. - Alternatively, I can use Instant Commands in the Command Center to chose amp settings upon calling the Helix preset, and then use Snapshots to change amp settings within the same preset without having take up a Helix footswitch to operate the amp switching. This is actually an improvement over how the EXT AMP function works on Helix, because the MIDI CC function allows me to also choose a value being sent, whereas the EXT AMP function on Instant Commands only allows you to select the Tip or Ring, not whether the switch is OPEN or CLOSED. - Also, the FS-2 MIDI can send CC messages, although this isn't quite as useful as I had hoped because of the difference in how the Helix deals with incoming MIDI data compared to how its own footswitches operate. With Helix footswitches, you can have some blocks ON and some OFF for a given footswitch state (ie. switch is dim, distortion is ON, chorus is OFF... switch is lit, distortion is OFF, chorus is ON), but with incoming MIDI data, all blocks switch off with a value between 0-63, and all blocks switch on with a value between 64-127. So I can't, for example, have a chorus pedal turn on when I switch to my clean channel with the FS-2 footswitch, because switching to the clean channel sends a CC value of 0, which turns the chorus block off. At the end of the day, the incoming MIDI issue notwithstanding, this unit has offered me the most flexibility so far. I've submitted an IdeaScale idea that seeks to address this issue, and if this product seems useful to you and you'd also be interested in full control of Helix blocks from the FS-2, maybe you can upvote it: https://line6.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Incoming-MIDI-CC-Bypass-Assign-Min-Max-Value-or-Polarity/1001069-23508 EDIT: AFAIK, the Voodoo Labs Control Switcher also responds to CC messages, and if having dedicated footswitches for your amp's functions isn't that important to you, then this might be the ideal unit for you, assuming it switches your amp's functions properly. It is not cheap but out of the four products mentioned, it is the most likely to be found in a brick and mortar store, where you'll probably be able to return it if it doesn't work properly.

Dumbles are cancelled.

Honestly, there's not much to know, really. 90% of the amps ever made are some kind of variation of only a few basic circuit designs, mostly designed by Fender decades ago. The Helix offers almost limitless choices to explore these slight variations but it's possible that for someone in your position it's more of an educational tool. Here's some of the basics you need to know (when I mention an amp, I'll type the real name and then put the name the Helix uses in brackets). The basic Fender design is present in a number of amps they made back in the day - the Champ (US Small Tweed), the Deluxe (US Deluxe), and the Twin (US Double) are the examples we have in the Helix. The difference between these amps is basically output power, the Champ being the lowest power, the Twin being the highest. More output power means more volume for a given level of power amp distortion (more headroom). So a Champ will break up at a lower volume than a Twin. But these amps were designed long before distortion was considered a desirable quality and that's why the Twin is considered the benchmark of clean tone. The Champ is really a practice amp and wouldn't be very useful in most performance situations, but the Deluxe was one of the first amps that introduced the concept of distortion as a desirable quality, because to get it loud enough to play with a drum kit, you really have to turn it up, whereas the Twin is powerful enough to stay clean at just about any volume. The Deluxe is known as the quintessential country lead guitar amplifier for this reason. The other basic Fender design is the Bassman (Tweed Blues). As the name suggests, it was designed primarily for bassists, but guitarists started using the amp because of its unique distortion characteristics. The Bassman is considered the quintessential American blues guitar amp, and its basic circuit is the most copied amp circuit ever - the first Marshall amp, the JTM-45 (Brit J45), was an exact copy of the Bassman circuit using components more readily available in the UK, and most if not all of Marshall's amps up to today are variations and innovations on that basic circuit design. Not only that, many boutique amps are themselves based on Marshall amps. The other member of "the big three" is Vox. Vox's flagship amp is and was the AC-30 (Essex A30). Vox amps have circuits that are unrelated to Fender and Marshall designs, with unique features and controls and a completely unique sound. The word most associated with the AC30 is "chimey". They sing. They can be clean, they can be dirty, but they always sing. The Beatles used them, Queen used them. Need I say more? So those are probably where you want to start - Fender Deluxe (US Deluxe), Fender Twin (US Double), Fender Bassman (Tweed Blues), Marshall JTM-45 (Brit J45), Marshall Super Lead (Brit Plexi), Vox AC-30 (Essex A30). These are the building block amps. Some of the other amps in the Helix are in one way or another derived from these amps. Some are completely unrelated from the point of view of circuitry, but even many of those are attempts to innovate based on the sounds of these classic amps. Others are their own animal. Be sure to download HX Edit. It's just a much better platform for experimenting with sounds and building presets. And always have the manual handy, there's a lot to learn in terms of controlling things, as there are a few different approaches available to you. I hope I was able to help and I hope you have fun.

A "preamp" typically will come with some coloring compared to a line input, which would typically be designed to be as transparent as possible. You might want to test the MAIN outputs into the JDI/preamp to see if you get the same "intrusive high mids". Then you'll know it's either the preamp or the JDI.

^ cancelled